Refrigerating apparatus for railway cars



July 11, 1933. E. c. woon 1,917,865

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARS y Filed Jan. 1a, 1932 2 sheets-sheet, 1 ..9 1n

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-Filed Jan. 18, 1932 orugas.

Patented July l1,

- UNITI-:D STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD U. WOQD, Fv EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB-TO NORTH AMERICAN CAB RPOBATION, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPYOBATION 0F ILLINIS nararoanarme arranarus ron RAILWAY womens A Application filed January 18., 1902. Serial No. 587,215.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a refrigeratingapparatus for railway cars, and more particularly to an apparatus adapted to utilize solidified carbon' dioxide as a refrigerant, and to enforce a ositive circulation of the air within the car y means of the iuid pressure develeous state.

oped as the refrigerant absorbs heat andvaponzes.

As is now well known, solidified carbon dioxide has an extremely and when a suicient quantityof heat is absorbed thereb it passes directly into the gasvery large quantity of gas'is evolved in comparison with the original'v volume of the solid carbon dioxide. It will be apparent that `if the refrigerant is confined within a gas-ti ht container, considerable fluid pressure be developed within this container as the refrigerant vaporizes. Also, carbon dioxide as 1s a veryT effectiveinsulator, and as a b anket of this gas is formed around .the solid refrigerant (and also about the goods within the compartment to be `refrigerated, if the gas is into this compartment) t e rate of va orization of the refrigerant is considera ly reduced. However, if the gas is permitted to escape, and the rate of vaporization conseuently increased,more heat is absorbed from the car and the goods therein so that a much lower temperature may be maintained, if this is desirab e. y

According to the present invention, the gas under pressure evolved in the refrigerantholding container is utilized to drive afan or blower before the gas is discharged to the outer rair, this fan or equivalent apparatus being used to enforce a sitive circulation of the air within the car 1n Contact with the refrigerant-container so that the refrigerating process isexpedited and made more effective.

The principal object of the present invention' is to provide an improved process and apparatus for positivelyenforcing the' cir- ,Y nculation of airwithin the refrigeratingchamber b mear'isof the gasirpressure developed as solidied carbondloxide or equivalent refrigeran' t vaporizes.' p i Y low i temperature,

rmitted to escape 'e tition 9 extends down from the end Another object is ,to provide means for utilizing the vaporized frigerating medium.` y

Another object is to provide an improved form of refrigerating apparatus for use in a railway car.

Other objects -and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the followingdetailed descri tion of one approved form of apparatus emgodying the principles of this invention. E p

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticside elevation of a refrigerator car, the general location of the refrigerating apparatus inthe two ends of the car being indicated in dotted lines.-

Fig.l 2 is an enlarged horizontal section through the refrigerating apparatus at one end of the car, the View being taken substantially on the line 24-2 of Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, ta en substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

after described, these two refrigerating apparatuses indicated at B being substantial duplicates of one another so that only .one need be described. In each upperend portion ofthe car, a portion ofthe main car compartment2 is cut off by means of transverse vertical partition A3 and horizontal partition 4 so as to form a rerigerating chamber 5.

rlihe vertical' partition 3 terminates short of the roof 6 so as to form an inlet passage 7 through which air flows in from the upper portion of compartment 2. The horizontal partition 4 terminates short of the end wall 8 of the car, and a transverse vertical parof parcarbon dioxideas a retition 4, in spaced relation to end wall 8, so as to form an air passage 10 having an outlet 11 into the main compartment 2 beneath the bottom of partition 9.

The metal container 12 in which the refrigeraiit is conned, is supported within chamber in any Vsuitable, manner as by means of the brackets indicated generally at 13.- Preferably the container 12 is so positioned in chamber 5 that air can circulate freely around all sides, ends, top and bottom of the container thus providing a maximum cooling surface. The container 12 is closed except for an inlet passage 14 which Iextends 15 upward into the hatchway 15 opening through the roof of the car. This liatchway is provided with a removable hatch cover 16, and a closure plug 17 is provided for the inlet passage 14, this plug being adapted Q2@ to maintain a gas tight ht and be provided with suitable fasteners (not here shown) so as to hold the plug in position against the gas pressure developed within the closed container 12.

lt will now be apparent that the relatively warm air in main car compartment 2 adjacent the roof 6 will flow into chamber 5 through inlet passage 7, thence flow through chamber 5 in Contact with the refrigerant container 12, thence downwardly through passage 10 and back into the lower portion of compartment 2 through outlet 11. ln order to positively enforce and speed up this air circulation, one or more blowing devices indicated generally at C are positioned at suitable locations within the' chamber 5 or the passage 10. lilacli of these comprises a suitable rotary fan 18 and a fluid-pressure motor 19, here shown as comprising a closed casing 20 in which is mounted a rotary impeller 21 carried by shaft 22 which is journaled in anti-friction bearings 23 and 24, the fan 18 being 'secured to one outer end of shaft 22.

In the installation here shown by way of example, a conduit or pipe 25 leads from container 12 to a T-connection 26 from which branch pipes 27 lead to the respective inlet ports 28 of the two fluid motors. From the outlet 29 of each motor, 'a pipe 30 may lead directly or indirectly to the air outside the car. ln the installation here shown a refrigerating pipe coil 31 (one for each device C) is positioned within air passage 10, the discharge pipe 30 connecting with the upper end of this coil and the lower end discharging to the outer air. n

ln operation, the comparatively warm air flowing through chamber 5 is cooled by contact with'contaiiier 12, the heat kabsorbed from thisair vaporizing a portion of the refrigerant thus building up the pressure of the c5 gaseous carbon dioxide conned in chamber mechanisms C -V 12. This gas under pressure lows out through conduit 25 into the motor housing 19 causing the impeller 21 to rotate and drive the fan 18, which in turn enforces the circuf lation of air through chamber 5 and passage 10. The gas is discharged from the motor housing through conduit 30 and thence flows to the outer air. Since this gas is at a very low temperature, it may be passed through a coil such as 31 and abstract additional heat 7" from the air flow through passage 10. lf desired, the refrigerating coil 31 may be' omitted and discharge pipe 30 extended directlyfroin motor 19 to the outer air. In some instances it may be found desirable to discharge the carbon dioxide gas inside the car instead of dissipating it to the outer air, although the construction hereinabove described is preferred.

ll-lliile two fan mechanisms have been shown in the present example, it will be understood that one or more such fans may7 be provided, depending on the requirements of the circulation system and the available Huid pressurel that is developed in container 12.

lf necessary, an auxiliary discharge pipe such as indicated at 32 and provided with a safety Valve 33 may lead from the container 12 in order to avoid the building up of any 95 excessive pressure in 'the container. This pipe may discharge directly to the outer air or may discharge through a refrigerating coil such' as 31. :ifv preferred, an auxiliary connection may be made directly from container 10c 12 to refrigerating coils such as 31, and provided with suitable valves, so that the carbon dioxide gas may be utilized for' refrigerating purposes without operating the blower mechanisms C. lt is to be understood that all such variations' come within the scope of the invention as hereinabove set forth and covered by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. ln a refrigerating apparatus, a compart- 11o ment to be refrigerated, a closed container in the compartment for confining solidiiied carbon dioxide, a fan for circulating air within the compartment in contact with the container, a fluid-pressure motor for driving. the fan, a conduit for carbon dioxide gas leading from the container to the motor, and a cooling coil within the compartment having its inlet connected with the outlet of the motor, and its discharge end leading outside 12o of the compartment. v

2. `1n a refrigerating apparatus, a compartment to be refrigerated, a closed container positioned in thel upper portion of the coml partment, said container adapted to confine a quantity of solidied carbon dioxide, a circulating passage having an inlet in the upper portion ofthe compartment, an enlarged upper portion surrounding the container and an extension leading down to an outletin 13o Larmes the lower portion of the compartment, a fan within the passage for enforcing a. downward circulation of the air therethrough, a Huid-pressure motor for driving the fan, a pressure pipe leading from the container to the inlet of the motor, and a discharge pi e leading from the motor to the air outside t e compartment.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, a compartment to be refrigerated, a closed container positioned in the upper portion of the compartment, said container adapted to confine a quantity of solidified carbon dioxide, a circulating passage around the container having an inlet in the upper portion of the compartment and an outlet in the lower portion of the compartment, a fan within the passage for enforcing a downward circulation of the air therethrough, a fluid-pressure motor for driving the fan, a pressure pipe leading from the container to the inlet of the motor, a refrigerating coil positioned in the passage and having its linlet conhaving an inlet opening adjacent the roof of the car and an outlet adjacent the floor, a fan positioned in the passage for positively enforcing a downward circulation therethrough, a fluidressure motor for driving the fan, a pipe or gaseous carbon dioxide leading from the container to the inlet of the motor, and a, cooling coil positioned in the passage and having its inlet-end connected with the outlet of the motorand its discharge end leading outside of the car.

EDWARD C. WOOD. 

